


Tilt

by RosexKnight



Series: Tumblr Drabble Prompts [8]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-10
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-08-07 19:53:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7727662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosexKnight/pseuds/RosexKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>betweenpaperpages prompted: Prompt: 25. “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” (Rumbelle</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tilt

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BetweenPaperPages](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BetweenPaperPages/gifts).



“I can’t believe you talked me into this.”

“Oh come on. It’ll be fun. And there’s a bar. You can lean back on that. People play that way all the time.”

“They’re not.”

“Yeah but they probably have their own machine at home or something crazy like that.”

Gold frowned at her, completely unconvinced. When his girlfriend (at least, he was pretty sure she was) had expressed interest in going to an arcade, he’d been curious enough to take her there. He hadn’t toughed a cabinet since he was young, but he used to be quite a pinball wizard back in the day. However, when Belle had taken his arm and pulled him over to one particular game, he hadn’t been so thrilled.

The up-beat music ended and the pair playing grinned at each other as the announcer gave some very out-dated catchphrase as the final scores were shown and the credits rolled. The two only gave a single look to Gold and Belle waiting before stepping off the dance pads, and Gold felt like a fool as he and Belle took their place.

“Take your jacket off.” Belle said as the machine sounded away with the quarters she put in. “You won’t be able to move as easily.”

He obliged, folding it neatly over the back of the bar on her side, and she giggled at the sight of the terrible Mr. Gold on a DDR machine with her. The announcer’s voice rang out, they picked their difficulties, and all was set.

“Pick one.” Belle said, motioning to the screen.

Gold had no idea which song to play. Did Belle have a preference? They all sounded the same to him. He made a show of deciding and then picked the next one he came to. Something about freckles.

“Lean back on the bar so you don’t hurt your foot. And then just step on the arrows. It’s easy.”

“Sure.”

He was a man who doubted himself often, but he was fairly certain the only he’d doubted himself more than this moment was when he’d first asked Belle to dinner. The music started, and he felt like a fool, flailing his legs as he tried to keep the beat of the song, not hurt his leg, and step on the arrows all at the same time. Beside him, Belle looked as if she were a fish swimming, hitting the arrows perfectly as her lips moved to the words of the song. Her eyes were sparkling. She’d never looked so happy. He hadn’t realized he’d stopped moving completely until he heard thenoises of failure ringing from the machine, and even then Belle laughed as the “game over” screen flew by.

“You okay?” Belle asked. “Maybe DDR isn’t your thing after all.”

“It was fun.” Gold said idly, making the decision that, if ever he owned an arcade, he’d get this same damn machine just to see that smile light up her face again.


End file.
